I'd meant to post about Joss Whedon's Serenity sooner after seeing it, and considering that last night we saw Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, well, a movie review is required.
Most of you geeky folk out there have already seen Serenity, but if you haven't, well, get your ass down there! For fucks sake, this movie rocks. Whedon can do amazing, fantastic things with an actual budget, and you can tell that this whole world of his is meticulously plotted out detail by detail before it ever gets anywhere near production teams. Serenity was everything I wanted and hoped it would be, and everything I didn't expect. Not only is it about cowboys and space (meaning cool guns and spaceships!), but there's zombies too. Zombies! Makal and I narrowly managed to see it opening night, and the crowd watching with us was one of the best I've sat with in a movie theater. Everyone—and I do mean everyone—was glued to the screen every step of the way, puppets in Whedon's masterful movie hand. We all laughed when Wash said something funny, snickered at River's appalled looks at Simon, we all inwardly smiled at the amusing video conference between Mal and Inara. We all jumped and gasped in shock at the same time too. It was perfect. I will buy this movie on DVD, then I will kick myself when the collector's edition with extra goodies is released and I have to buy another copy. Heavens forbid this man actually manages to make Serenity into a trilogy, as is being rumoured. That would fucking rock. (I do wish the movie poster was cooler though.)
Last night when we saw Corpse Bride, the theater had only a handful of other people, despite the movie's recent release. I had my hesitations going into this movie viewing, mainly that it would be too close to Nightmare Before Christmas for comfort. Sadly, I have to confirm that it was, indeed, a titch too unoriginal. Considering the dynamic trio behind this movie I expected shitloads more. I mean, usually awesome things happen when you get Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, and Johnny Depp all working on a project together. But it was as if somewhere along the way, Burton suffered head trauma and lost his short term memory, causing him to forget that he's already made a stop-motion flick featuring some tall uber-skinny hero and a pieced-together blue chick (as well as a frisky spirit puppy). And Elfman, tsk tsk! The music was so uninspired, unless you consider that perhaps he was so in awe of his work on Nightmare that he was inspired by his own work. Except this is like someone did a bad ripoff of Elfman's style. (But I am amused by his voice talent as Bonejangles, the singing dancing cabaret skeleton daddy). Really it was just sad to see that this movie is not as ground breaking as Nightmare was, nor is it as enjoyable for adults; kids will probably love it though.
Now if only a theater in town was showing Mirrormask... Surely that movie will restore my faith in weird cult-icon produced movies.
Thursday, October 6
Movies Movies
6 comments:
Not really fair to compare Corpse Bride to Nightmare. But even so, it's just not that good.
It's a shame, because what's good about it is very good; it looks stunning, and under the surface, it's so deeply perverse. Who but Burton could make so huge a film about necrophilia?
Technically, it's a ggreat film. Design, animation, voice acting, lighting. Yet the heart and soul of a film like this, teh script and music, seem like afterthoughts.
It could have been great; it wasn't. And it's a shame.
Okay so true, Corpse Bride and Nightmare were never meant to be the same movie, or even similar. But it's *so obvious*, so lacking. One can't help but compare the two. Yes, Corpse Bride does have some wonderful moments. And yes, it is "technically" great. That's just not enough for me.
Karl, I have to admit I have the very same thoughts about the film. To me the biggest puzzle was the skeletons.
But on the other hand, comparing it to Nightmare is fair, in my opinion, because it came from the same creative minds. I think they should be held to their previous works.
Altho if you take Planet of the Apes into consideration...
Hell, batman. A movie that should have been good, but wasn't. Burton's brilliant but oh-so-flawed.
Batman Returns however was great, if not simply for the fact that Michelle Pfeiffer was in her oh so sexy cat suit.
Roawr.
A whole generation of vinyl fetish launched by a single woman.
Oh sure, you just had to go and mention the vinyl fetish! I was only eight when I saw that movie yaknow, how was I to know what was in store? So she was my favourite character, and I drooled over the posters of her. I just liked cats was all...
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